Farran Technology, Co. Cork, Ireland, has been providing quality and cost-effective millimeter-wave (mmWave) product solutions for nearly 30 years.
Farran engineering core competence has enabled the company to maintain a leading edge in the design and manufacture of components and subsystems, at operating frequencies from 18 GHz to 3 THz.
Farran’s strength is to adapt and change to emerging markets with products seen in many diverse applications, both military and commercial. As well as servicing an extensive range of mmWave components, the maturation of the imaging market for homeland security has led to volume requirements for mmWave and sub-mmWave components.
Farran has risen to this challenge by developing its production processes to enable manufacture of reliable, cost-effective products of consistent quality. Further applications include environmental pollution control and research on radiometer designs for use in remote coastal sensors. The need for ever increasing bandwidth for transmission of HD video, broadband and telephony has opened opportunities for MVDS infrastructure components. Farran is currently involved with projects in the 42 GHz range, which require mmWave end user and base station equipment, using their core skills to develop MMIC-based solutions.
Although Farran is addressing volume markets, it has not forgotten the research and development of innovative mmWave and sub-mmWave components, which have kept the company at the leading edge for decades. The engineering team has its sights set on the emerging 150 to 300 GHz sensor and imaging market. Current research programs include the development of innovative Schottky MMIC devices, which will be the building blocks for highly integrated frequency conversion and detection systems. Other areas of research are waveguide structures, including use of polymers, to be used for future sub-mmWave component manufacture.